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After seeing what the Americans did in Milan during the Winter Olympics, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes hopes Team USA can continue a dominant trend during the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Skenes is on the WBC roster, which begins March 5, representing Team USA alongside some of America’s best like Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh and Tarik Skubal.
Skenes referred to the United States’ strong performance at the Cortina Games in Milan, which saw a record 12 gold medals, including the men’s and women’s hockey teams beating Canada in overtime.
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Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates watches during spring training at Pirate City on February 12, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Skenes was asked about the momentum the United States has right now heading into the WBC, and he gave a blunt answer about his expectations.
“Yeah, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, all the golds we won at the Olympics,” he said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We are America, we have to assert our dominance over everyone else. That’s what we do.
“It’s going to be fun. If the United States wins, that’s what we’ll do. We have to keep it up.”
Team USA’s roster will be interesting, however, after seeing that Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner from the Detroit Tigers, will only make one start before returning to spring training with his team.
Skenes, meanwhile, is expected to start multiple times, but there’s one caveat: Team USA must advance in the tournament before he pitches again.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) stands for the national anthem before the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. September 15, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Image Images)
Skenes told The Athletic his patriotic reasoning behind wanting to play for Team USA.
“We’re doing it to represent the men and women who fight for us, along with a lot of other things that make this country the best country in the world. That puts it into perspective a little bit,” Skenes, who was considering a military career while playing for the Air Force before transferring to LSU, told the outlet.
He added that seeing Judge, the reigning American League MVP, answer the call to play for the country also increases his desire to help the United States emerge victorious over international talents like Japan and the Dominican Republic.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Skenes is coming off a NL Cy Young Award win for his fantastic performance in 2025, which included a 1.97 ERA in 32 starts with 216 strikeouts for the Pirates.
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